Defining Sustainability at the Arizona State University Art Museum
August 20, 2009
How can sustainability be defined with art? That’s what Arizona State University’s Art Museum set out to answer this fall with Defining Sustainability, a series of dynamic and interactive projects that will come together to illustrate sustainability ideas.
From ASU News:
Each exhibition or project tells a simple story – an artist’s proposal for green transportation or a designer’s solution for recycled shade structures – which together convey the complexity of sustaining life on earth. A nontraditional art museum project, artists and designers, faculty and students will engage the greater Phoenix community in their creative processes and in conversations about sustainability. The diverse projects range in materials and format, and are installed throughout the ASU Art Museum to tell stories of environmental, social and cultural sustainability.
In Defining Sustainability, art and the museum are catalyst and site for campus and community members to gather and further the conversation about sustainability. While many of the projects focus on this place, they have implications for art, museums and urban centers throughout the country and the world. Today’s art museum is a pristine, controlled environment, keeping the landscape, with all its environmental systems, hazards and problems, at bay. The ASU Art Museum strives to forge a new model for the university art museum as an interdisciplinary lab to explore real-world issues through the lens of the creative process.
Defining Sustainability will run from August 26th, 2009 through February 20th, 2010 and will feature exhibitions in all media by regional and international, emerging and established artists.
Learn more and view a few examples at the ASU website.
Pictured above: Shade structures made by ASU architecture faculty member Jason Griffiths, who will be leading the upcoming project Political Ply at ASU Art Museum in October 2009. Photo courtesy Jason Griffith.
Link [ASU News]
Villanova University Plans “Year of Sustainability”
October 3, 2008
Introducing our first EarthFirst U college contributor Joseph Negri who will be blogging about environmental issues from the campus of Villanova University. Take it away Joseph! -Dorothee
In April 2009, Villanova will host scholars, environmental activists, and government officials from around the world at the International Sustainability Conference, an event that will combine educational and environmental concerns. Speakers will focus on the impact of sustainability on various academic disciplines such as law, economic development, and engineering. The four-day event will include a keynote address by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and a presentation of Kaiulani Lee’s “A Sense of Wonder”, a play about environmentalist Rachel Carson. Participants will be asked to donate to TreeVitalize, and a Philadelphia-based program that attempts to offset the carbon production of Pennsylvania.
The upcoming International Conference will wrap up a full year of events meant to promote public awareness about environmental issues. Villanova’s President’s Climate Committee began this “Year of Sustainability” in September as a part of a larger effort to enforce their policies. According to the Climate Committee, Villanova has two main goals concerning sustainability.
From Villanova’s Environmental Sustainability Policy :
Goal 1: Villanova University will strive to practice the principles of environmental sustainability and wise use of resources within the University community. Villanova University will make reasonable efforts to conserve resources.
Goal 2: Villanova University will engage in appropriate learning opportunities with the intention of creating a community whose members (students, faculty, staff, and graduates) are environmentally literate and responsible.
The effects of these policies can be seen on Villanova’s campus on an everyday basis as well as during these major events. The Villanova University Shop now sells environmentally friendly products that limit on campus waste. Vantage Clothing Company supplies the shop with organic cotton Villanova gear. Reusable water bottles are being sold as part of the “Refill not Landfill” campaign that seeks to limit the number of plastic bottles used on campus. All of these products are reviewed by the Green Purchasing Committee that is constantly looking for new ways to bring green products to Villanova.
As the Year of Sustainability continues, Villanova will enact more eco-friendly policies and plan more public awareness events. The university hopes that the changes occurring on campus will spread to the greater community and result in an environmentally conscious world.
Do you want to blog from your campus? Send us a note in the comments section and we’ll email you back!
5 Eco-Minded Scholarships You Can Apply For Right Now
June 20, 2008
If you’re interested in environmental activism and need more money for college (who doesn’t, with how expensive it’s gotten?!), here’s some good news. We’ve caught wind of 5 eco-minded scholarships that can help you pay those bills and get in some good deeds while you’re at it. They include the Blade Your Ride Scholarship, The Goi Peace Foundation 2008 International Essay Contest for Young People, the Solix Resettles Blue Mountain Essay Contest, Annie’s Homegrown Sustainable Agriculture Scholarships and the Nicodemus Wilderness Project Apprentice Ecologist Initiative.
The scholarship amounts range from $475 to $10,000. The contest entry requirements vary; check out the NextPath education finance newsletter page for more info.
Link [NextPath]
